Islamic Manuscripts at Michigan
المشاركة في الفهرسة: المخطوطات الاسلامية في جامعة ميشيغان

1

Mīzān al-ṭibb,[1238, i.e. 1822].میزان الطب,[1238ه, 1822م].

Shelfmark:

Isl. Ms. 852

Title:

Mīzān al-ṭibb,[1238, i.e. 1822].میزان الطب,[1238ه, 1822م].

Author:

Shāh Arzānī, Muḥammad Akbar ibn Muḥammad,18th cent.شاه ارزانى، محمد اکبر بن محمد.

Place/Date of Production:

[Amritsar?,1822].

Size:

110 leaves :paper ;270 x 160 (200 x 95) mm.

Summary:

Careful copy of the concise manual of medicine by Muḥammad Akbar Arzānī (d.1722).

Other Title(s):

ميزان الطبTitle from inscription on 'title page' (p.1):كتاب ميزان الطب

Subject(s):

Medicine, Persian--Early works to 1800.
Traditional medicine--Formulae, receipts, prescriptions.
Materia medica--Early works to 1800.
Pharmacopoeias--Early works to 1800.
Manuscripts, Persian--Michigan--Ann Arbor.

Language:

Persian.

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title from opening matter (p.2) and colophon (p.215).

Incipit:

"الحمد لله رب العالمین والصلواة والسلام علی رسوله محمد واله الطیبین الطاهرین ... اما بعد العبد الضعیف النحیف طالب المعانی محمد ارزانی المسمی بمحمد اکبر میکوید [می گوید] که چون اطفال فقیر و دیگر اعزه در صدد خواندن علم طب بودند مختصری که صبیانرا [صبیان را] تعلم آن آسان بود بعبارتی موجز که مشتمل بر فوائد بسیار است تالیف نمودم و بمیزان الطب موسوم ساختم ..."

Explicit:

Can you help transcribe the explicit? Please comment!

Colophon:

"Scribal," reads "نفع وار وبعون الله تعالی تم تمام شد کتاب میزان الطب ... خطه فقیر حقیر اضعف عباد الله محمد بخش ولد محمد عظیم حفظه الله عن ... بتاریخ چهارم ماه صفر موافق سنه ١٢٣٨ هجری"

Dedication:

Can you help transcribe the dedication? Please comment!

Contents:

Unidentified-Can you help supply this information? Please comment!

Physical Details:

Collation:

13 IV(104), III (110) ; almost exclusively quaternions (followed by single ternion) ; middle of the quire marks in the form of red dots or small strokes in the upper outer corner of the right-hand leaf and lower outer corner of the left-hand leaf ; catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals (includes back flyleaf).

Layout:

Written in 18 lines per page.

Script:

Nastaʻlīq ; elegant Indian hand ; serifless with inclination to the right and slight effect of words descending to baseline, elongation and somewhat exaggerated thickness of horizontal strokes, mainly closed counters, yāʼ always pointed.

Decoration:

Keywords rubricated ; overlining in red ; diagram "دائره رجال الغيب" following colophon at close (p.215).

Support:

non-European (likely Indian) laid paper with roughly 6 laid lines per cm. (horizontal, fairly distinct, some curving) and irregular chain lines visible, sturdy though transluscent, dark cream to beige in color, burnished ; much staining and tide lines.

Binding:

Pasteboards covered in linen and perhaps once-tinted paper with linen now over spine ; Type III binding (without flap) ; 'board linings' in untinted laid paper, lower hinge in recycled paper (manuscript 'waste') ; upper and lower covers carry line drawings in black ink of large central floral motifs ; sewn in cream thread, two stations ; overall in extremely poor condition with signficant abrasion, lifting and losses of paper, textile and boards, staining, etc. ; housed in box for protection.

Accompanying Materials:

a. Card with typed notes and additions in pen: "K239 | 17300 [in pencil] museum acc. nbr. | Indian [crossed out] Mogul (?) manuscript volume, paper cover, linen back. | Persian script | Amritsar." -- b. Photocopy of card with typed notes "17300 | 865 Amritsor, India | 1 Persian manuscript book | Original no. -- K239. Medical book. | Univ. of Mich., Div. of Fine Arts | Walter Koelz, 1932-33 | March 19, 1934." -- c. Scrap of ruled paper with notes in pencil "Persian | dated 1238 A.H. | c. 1900 | MIZAN AL-TIB = | medical book." -- d. Piece of paper with handwritten notes "3 Islamic mss. apparently brought over to RBR from Mus. of Anthro in late 1970's (Persian)" -- e. Length of white cotton cord with label attached "17300/K239v" [from handlist prepared by R. Dougherty, 1993].

Former Shelfmarks:

Mich. Isl. Ms. temp. no. 1

Origin:

As appears in colophon on p.215, copied by Muḥammad Bakhsh valad-i Muḥammad ʻAẓīm with transcription completed 4 Ṣafar 1238 [ca. 21 October 1822].

Ownership and History:

Assorted excerpts and former owners' marks on upper and lower board linings, 'title page' (p.1), final leaf (p.218, originally left blank, also carries drawing of floral motif in red ink), back flyleaf (p.219), etc. ; text of rubrics (keywords to be entered in red) occasionally visible in the margin ; occasional marginal corrections.

Contributor(s) / Included work(s):

Unidentified-Can you help supply this information? Please comment!

Scribe(s):

07 Muḥammad Bakhsh ibn Muḥammad ʻAẓīm, fl. 1822, scribe. 07 محمد بخش ابن محمد عظيم, ناسخ.

Former Owner(s):

Unidentified-Can you help supply this information? Please comment!

In Collection:

Walter Koelz Manuscripts.

References:

Cat. Pers. MSS. Brit. Mus.,p.479